Thanks so much to all of you for the terrific information and advice. I think rather than the Panasonic, I'll go with the Canon Powershot G7 or the Olympus SP-550UZ as there's no denying the macro capabilites of the Canon after seeing the shot from Onslow.  Of those two, which do you think would be best for macro shots? They both cost the same but the Olympus is less megapixels but a higher zoom than the Canon. Being a complete dummy at this stuff, I'm not sure which would be better for close range shots & macros. I do like the more compact size of the Canon, though... but that's really not an issue as long as I get the best shot possible.

Thank you again! You guys are great! :D

Brandi